The November 18, 2020 End Warehousing rally and banner drops told New York that vacant affordable apartments should be homes for those who need them!
Demonstrators at a recent Williamsburg rally called on landlords to stop keeping apartments vacant for years in order to bypass rent regulations.
One advocate decried the practice — known as “warehousing” — as especially cruel at a time of record vacancy rates during which more and more New Yorkers are becoming homeless.
“I find it inhumane that we are denying housing to these people,” said Yadira Dúmet, an organizer with the local community development non-profit St. Nicks Alliance, at a protest on Hooper Street on Nov. 18.
The End Warehousing Coalition, which includes St. Nicks Alliance and several other advocacy organizations, hung banners and demonstrated outside of two apartment blocks at 293 and 301 Hooper St., near Broadway, where residents say the landlord has kept 11 units vacant for years.
Many groups participated in the main Brooklyn rally, including the members of the End Warehousing Coalition(St. Nick's Alliance, Los Sures, Los Sures LUCHA, Communities Resist, Stellar Tenants for Affordable Housing, Tenants Taking Control, United Neighbors Organization (UNO)), and Picture the Homeless and the Homeless Can't Stay Home. Thanks to elected officials including State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, Senator Julia Salazar, Assembly Member-elect Emily Gallagher, District Leaders Kristina Naplatarski and Samy Nevir-Olivares, and aides: Jennifer from Council Member Reynoso's office and Ramon from Senator Salazar's office who attended the Brooklyn rally. Thanks to Neil Douglas Reilly of State Senator Brian Benjamin's office and Larry Wood of Goddard Riverside Community Center for participating in the Manhattan companion rally. And thanks to Jim Markowich of Tenants Taking Control and Council Members Helen Rosenthal and Mark Levine for their press quotes.
Above photo by Frank Leonardo (c) 2020, used with permission.